A Maze of Emotions
by Mochoa1994
Summary: <html><head></head>"'No! I'm not leaving you.' I closed my eyes, put my hand on the back of his perfect head, and brought my face up to his." Three-shot.</html>
1. The Explosion

**Annabeth's version of the kiss in the Battle of the Labyrinth**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own the amazing work of Rick Riordan. I don't even own this plot. This is just what I thought Annabeth might've been thinking. Enjoy!**

_**This was originally in my story 'Book Kisses' so neither one is copyright. I just made a new chapter and copied and pasted this here... So, don't worry XP**_

The door to that strange young Telekhine classroom thing Percy had just told me about exploded and a bunch of young Telekhines hurried out. By the way they were looking around I guessed that they were trying to figure out which way Percy ran.

"Put your cap back on. Get out." Percy looked nervous.

A feeling of shock ran over me. I had never felt this way. _I can't just leave him!_ I thought. "What?" I made myself say. "No! I'm _not _leaving you."

"I've got a plan," He said trying to sound confident, but I knew him too well. He was afraid. "I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider- maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

_No!_ I screamed inside. _I'm not leaving you to die!_ But once again my voice almost failed me. "But you'll be killed!" I managed. That was the only thing I could think of to say. It was my best and only argument.

"I'll be fine." I could tell he was lying to me. He was trying to be brave on my behalf. "Besides, we've got no choice."

He was right. We had no choice. I saw flashes of our past quests and adventures together. He had saved so many times that I couldn't even count and now he was trying to kill himself to save me.

_Why? _I thought, _why would he give up his life to save my own?_ Then, I realized: he liked me. But more importantly, I liked him.

I wanted to tell him. I _needed_ to tell him, but there was no time. We could die. _He_ could die. At that moment, I realized that I could show him how I felt. My heart started racing; it felt like it was going to pump right out of my chest. _I have to do this_, I thought.

I sighed. _Well, here goes nothing._

I closed my eyes, put my hand on the back of his perfect head, and brought my face up to his.

The kiss lasted for only a second but it felt like forever. I felt a thousand butterflies flutter their wings inside of my stomach; I felt a spark of electricity.

From the moment our lips touched, I knew this was real. I liked him a lot more than I had originally thought. I—well, I loved him. I didn't want to go—ever. I wanted to stay with him like this forever, but I heard a loud crash and remembered the quest.

I pulled away and looked straight into his sea green eyes. The thought that this might be the last time I could ever do this came across me but I quickly pushed it aside. "Be careful Seaweed Brain."

I put my Yankees cap back on and disappeared. I took the metal spider out of my pocket and started to activate it. I turned around and saw him with Riptide ready to fight off a thousand Telekhines to save me. He did look a bit distracted though. I didn't blame him; I was too.

I let go of the spider and it started to run, so I had no choice but to follow. I ran after it though I didn't want to. I wanted to run back into his arms where I knew I was alright, but I had a job to do. I had to keep my mind on the task at hand, but it was very hard.

That was when I heard the explosion.

I turned and stared at the blackened cave entrance. Percy was still in there.

Tears started to form in my eyes. _No!_ I thought. _He can't be dead... Can he?_

Then I remembered the spider and started running. I couldn't focus on anything after that. I was dead inside.

When I got back to Hephaestus's lab, I was crying so hard I couldn't make complete sentences. I think he asked me what was wrong, but I just sat in a corner trying to control myself. I couldn't.

**I was thinking about continuing this and writing about how she saw him at his funeral but I'm not sure... Please R&R and lemme know what you think!**


	2. The Funeral

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned the amazing work that is Percy Jackson... But Rick Riordan does... I don't even own this plot. This is just what I think Annabeth might've been thinking.**

When I finally managed to calm myself down, I got up and told Hephaestus the whole story. I left out the part when we kissed, but choked up a little when I told him of Mount St. Helens eruption. I tried my best to keep my composure; after all, I _was _in front of a god.

There was a long pause after I finished. I held my breath. I didn't know how he would react. He looked as though he was trying to figure everything out in his head.

"This is not good. Not good at all," He pondered what to do a little before going to work on what looked like a car.

My eyes were still filled tears as I walked towards the god. He was muttering things like, "I have to warn them... He's awakening... Not good..."

"Hephaestus?" I asked warily. Hephaestus was one of the only gods that I didn't understand. He always did his own thing in such a strange manner.

"Hmm?" A muffled sound came from beneath the car.

I cleared my throat, not sure what to say or do. "What exactly happened back there and what should I do now?"

The noises from under the car subsided and he wheeled himself out from under it. He stood, tried to brush the grim off of his already grimy overalls, and walked over to a tool bench. I hadn't noticed it before, but the spider that I had followed had ended up among the clutter on his tool benches.

He picked it up and looked at me with a very serious look. I wanted to look away for it was very frightening but I was caught in his gaze like a trap.

"I have to go and inform the other gods of what has happened." He said at last. "This could impact the Great Prophecy greatly," He took the spider apart and gave it back to me. "Use this to get back to camp. Tell Chiron what happened." He broke for a moment. "And, uh, I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sure he was a dear friend of yours."

He held out his hand, and I shook it graciously. I guessed this was his strange way of trying to comfort me. I tried to smile through my sadness but I couldn't. All I could do was give him a look of gratitude.

I activated the spider and shuddered. I've always hated these creatures. "Thank you, sir." I called behind me as I ran.

VVVVVV

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry." Chiron consoled after I had told him the story. Unlike what I told to Hephaestus, I didn't leave anything out though my hysterics returned at the Mt. Saint Helens scene.

"I-it wasn't your fault." I stammered between sobs.

I couldn't think straight. I could barely hear what Chiron was saying. I was trying to remember a time when I hadn't screwed up on this quest. I couldn't. Why he had even let me lead this stupid quest was beyond me. I was obviously not fit for the job. I had successfully lost three of my best friends in the labyrinth and had left them there.

My mind kept going back to the last line of my prophecy: _And to lose a love to worse than death._ Had it already come true? Did Percy get taken by the Telekhines before the mountain exploded? Would he be taken to another one of their stolen forges or tortured to death?

Thinking about this made me cry more silent tears. I was lost in more of these awful thoughts when I heard Chiron telling one of the satyrs something about funeral arrangements. I, then, heard Percy's name and realized they were talking about _his_ funeral arrangements.

"No!" I nearly screamed interrupting Chiron mid sentence. "He might not be—he might still be alive." I was trying my best to avoid the "d" word.

"Annabeth, are you sure?" He tried to reason. "That was a very large explo—"

"I don't care! We _have_ to wait for his return," I said firmly. "I know he'll come back. He's a fighter and the child of the prophecy. He _has_ to come back, Chiron. I—we _need_ him. You know this!"

Chiron not only knew this, but he knew me. He had been my father figure since I was seven years old. He had also been alive for many millennia, so I'm pretty sure he had a good idea as to how I felt towards Percy. He also knew I was very, very stubborn.

"Okay," He said, giving in. "We'll wait for two weeks. If by then he hasn't showed up, we will have to assume that he is..." His voice trailed off when he saw my face. "That he won't be returning."

I let out a soft whimper. He _had_ to come back. We needed him here. No, _I_ needed him here. I needed his hugs. I needed his everything. I was him, and he was me. We were linked together through a bond greater than his empathy link with Grover.

"Okay," I replied. For once in my life, I didn't know to say. "That sounds... Reasonable."

VVVVVV

Each day I would sit atop Half-Blood Hill awaiting his return and each day I lost more hope. After a week and a half, I stopped waiting for him to come and spent most of my time in my cabin and sobbed.

The day before the funeral came, and I was still completely lost. I couldn't even think straight. Unfortunately, I was chosen to be the one to speak since I was his last surviving friend. _Last surviving friend. Fancy that._

I decided to ask Chiron if he could write it for me since I couldn't gather my thoughts together to even form a single thought much less an entire speech.

I got out of bed, clothes and hair disheveled, and went to the Big House. Many people were looking at me and pointing, but I didn't care. I just wanted to be left alone.

When I got up to the Big House, it seemed as though deserted. "Chiron?" I called.

"Annabeth? Is that you?" He wheeled out around a corner from the hallway in his wheel chair. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"Yeah, I've been a little, ah, preoccupied." I managed a weak smile. "Listen, about the speech I'm to give tomorrow..."

His eyebrow arched up. "What about it?"

"Well, I don't know if I can write it much less talk about _him_ in front of the entire camp." I was very careful to avoid his name. If I so much as thought of it, I would burst out into tears.

"And why is that?"

I told him what I've been doing the past three weeks, though I was sure he already knew.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I truly am. But being his best friend, it is custom that you give the speech."

My eyes started welling with tears again. "Best friend?"

He smiled at me, "Yes, he spoke very fondly of you whenever you weren't around. I don't know if he even realized it or not but you really were one of his closest friends."

I smiled through my tears. Maybe he had liked me after all. _Does. _I thought. _I have to optimistic._

He held his arms out, and I graciously accepted his hug, crying on his shoulder. I could barely hear him trying, once again, to console me.

When I had calmed down a bit more, he looked at me and told me that he already had a general speech that people usually give if they are a little too distraught. I guessed that it happened a lot. I hugged him and smiled weakly.

"Thank you," I whispered before I went back to my cabin.

VVVVV

The next day, everyone gathered in the amphitheater to say our final goodbyes to our friend. My _best_ friend. No one bothered to say anything. Even the Ares cabin looked a bit sad. It was probably because they would have to find someone else to rag on everyday.

There was an eerie silence before Chiron stepped up to speak. "It has been two weeks since we had last heard from Percy." I caught my breath at the sound of his name. "The only logical thing that we can do is to assume he is dead. After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friend to do the final honors."

He motioned for me to come forward. I hesitated then complied. "Annabeth, you can do this," I heard him whisper as I walked towards the beautiful, shimmering, green cloth. _The same color of his eyes._ I quickly grabbed the torch and lit the corner of the shroud. Percy's shroud was engulfed in flames in an instant. I couldn't watch it burn.

I turned to the audience and closed my eyes, trying to gain more composure. Thank the gods I'm a daughter of Athena or I might not have been able to memorize the speech Chiron gave me yesterday.

"He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had," I recited. I opened my eyes to survey the crowd.

There, in the back corner of the arena was a boy. Normally I wouldn't pay attention but when I looked closer, I recognized him: his posture, his jet black hair, his perfect features.

It was Percy. He was alive.


	3. The Reunion

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned the amazing work that is Percy Jackson... But Rick Riordan does... I don't even own this plot. This is just what I think Annabeth might've been thinking.**

* * *

><p>"He—" I stammered. This doesn't happen very often but I was at a loss for words. "He's right there!"<p>

For a moment, everyone looked at me like I was insane, but Charles Beckendorf turned around and screamed, "Percy!" and everyone turned too. Everyone, with the exception of Clarisse and her goons of course, seemed ecstatic at his return. At first, I was too.

Then, I remember those two weeks of hell he put me through.

I was fuming.

I wanted to punch, kiss, kick, and hug him all at the same time.

I stormed towards the crowd that had formed around him. I heard Chiron start to say something, but I didn't care. I was on a mission.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I screamed when I finally pushed through the crowd. I ran up to him and tackled him with a hug. _Gods, I forgot that he smelled so good. _

Someone in the back of the crowd coughed and I realized that I was making a scene. I tried to make things less awkward by pushing him away. I ended up pushing him a lot harder than I had meant to. "Ouch," I heard him mutter.

"I—" I started, then thought better of it. "We thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!"

"I'm sorry," he said awkwardly. "I got lost."

_Really? Two weeks of torture because he got— _"Lost? Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world—"

"Annabeth," Chiron interrupted. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities."

I started to protest but he picked me up and placed me on his back behind Percy. He galloped towards the Big House and I had to hold onto Percy so as not to fall off. Hey, I wasn't complaining.

VVVVV

When we got to there, Percy told us how he had accidentally caused Mount St. Helens to erupt. He purposely left out our kiss, though which kind of bugged me. _I mean, I had basically confessed my, what was it? Love? No, not that strong. I guessed that I was just in very deep like with him. Yes, that's it. I confessed my like to him. If that makes sense. Gods, for a daughter of Athena, I can sure get confused._

He also explained that he had been marooned on an island for two weeks. I racked my brain to remember any mythological islands I could. I first thought of Circes but ruled that out because if it was, he wouldn't have come back at all. I couldn't think of any others that weren't in the sea of monsters. Until Calypso's island passed through my mind. I tried to rule that one out as best as I could but I couldn't. Only men go to her island. Important men. Men that she could fall in love with. Who better than the famous Percy Jackson, child of the prophecy?

Through my reverie, I could barely hear him telling us how he had gotten back to camp.

I saw him look straight at me as if looking for my approval. I looked back into his beautiful green eyes and almost lost myself. "You've been gone two weeks," was all I could think of to say. "When I heard the explosion, I thought—" I choked back my tears.

"I know. I'm sorry," He sounded extremely sincere as he placed his hand atop mine. I almost died. "But I figured out how to get through the Labyrinth. I talked to Hephaestus."

My heart jumped and he took his hand off of mine. Had he really figured out the answer to our problems? "He told you the answer?"

"Well, he sort of told me that I already knew. And I do. I understand now." He paused for dramatics. I rolled my eyes. "We need a clear-sighted mortal."

"Excuse me?" I choked.

"I could probably call up Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She might be able to help us."

I gaped at him. There was absolutely, positively, no way that I would let that man-stealing mortal come along on my quest. I mean, it _was_ my quest. Wait a minute, he just suggested that he should _call_ her. Did that mean... "You have her number?"

He blushed. "Well, yeah. She gave it to me when we first met. Do you think I could borrow your cell phone?"

My jaw dropped. Did he really think that he could just move on and forget our kiss like that? I mean, it had only been two weeks; I'm pretty sure he hadn't forgotten it that quickly. Or was he just ignoring it? I couldn't tell. "No, Percy, that's crazy."

I looked over to Chiron for help. All he did was sit in his wheelchair and stroke his beard. "There is a precedent, however. Theseus had the help of Aradne. Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes, used many mortals on her Underground Railroad for just this reason."

I was already extremely angry at Percy for getting 'lost' for two weeks. This just made it worse. I couldn't believe either of them. Percy, mainly. Why he would even want to spend time with her I didn't understand. "But this is _my _quest. _I_ need to lead it."

"My dear," Chiron was obviously trying to reason with me but I didn't want to hear it, "it is your quest. But you need help."

"And _this_—" I could think of a better word for that stupid _mortal_ "—is supposed to help? Please! It's wrong. It's cowardly. It's—"

"Hard to admit we need a mortals help?" Percy interrupted. "But it's true."

I absolutely hated being wrong and even more so, now, because Percy was right. I gave him the best death glare I could muster, but I made sure not to stare at his eyes or I might've melted. I still can't believe that after all we'd been through together he'd give it up for a mortal girl that he just met. Oh, no, I forgot; she was his _friend._ I'm pretty sure she could never, and would never, be his _best_ friend. _That's right. Best friend. Just a best friend. _

"You are the single most annoying person I have ever met," I said before I ran out as quickly as I could.

I sighed inwardly when I got out. _Nothing more. No matter how hard I would try, I could never be more than just that. A best friend._

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's it! I'm not going to write any more because I would basically be writing the book again...XP<strong>

**Anyways, what did ya'll think? This was super fun to write and I hope it was just as fun to read:) Leave a review and let me know! **

**(No flames please... Constructive criticism is welcome... Only constructive please:) )**

**Thank you, dear readers:)  
><strong>


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